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Online Will & Trust Planning
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Answer a few questions to see if our online platform fits your needs or if personalized guidance from one of our consultants is best for you.
Helpful Resources Before Starting a Will or Trust
Our Worksheets Can Help You Gather the Following:
Assets:
List what you own, including property, accounts, and valuables.
Beneficiaries:
Decide who will inherit your assets.
Estate Wishes:
Outline your instructions for your healthcare, finances, and legacy.
Downloadable Tools to Gather Your Information:
Guides:
Worksheets:
Get Started
Complete Your Will & Estate Planning Documents in 3 Easy Steps
Complete the Forms
Follow the on-screen prompts to provide the information needed for your estate planning documents.
Print Your Documents
The information you provided is turned into precise legal language, and provided back to you as a printable document.
Sign and Secure Your Documents
Use the included instructions to sign your documents correctly, then store them in a safe but easily accessible location.
Tailored Guidance & Biblical Insights for Your Situation
Individuals & Families with Minor Children
Individuals & Families with No Dependents
Complex Situations
Individuals & Families with Minor Children
As parents, one of your greatest responsibilities is planning for your children’s future. Below are key considerations for your estate plan, helping you provide for their care, support, and financial well-being, all while honoring your values and stewardship.
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Choosing the right guardians is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Here are three key factors to guide you as you prayerfully consider:
Choose Christian guardians. This ensures your children will continue to be brought up in God’s Word.
Look for guardians nearby. Keeping your children close to their community provides stability and strong support during a difficult time.
Consider guardians who are raising children. Families with children may experience less disruption and can focus on providing emotional support to yours.
While grandparents are often considered, their unique role in your children’s lives may be more impactful as grandparents, rather than primary guardians. As Christians, we can stand in the gap for each other—consider offering to serve as a guardian for another family in return.
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
Note: Guardianship laws vary by state, so be sure to research your state’s requirements or consult an estate planning attorney if needed.
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If assets are left directly to minor children, custodial accounts are created to manage their inheritance until they reach legal adulthood—typically age 18. The guardian or custodian can use these funds to provide for the child’s care and support.
However, custodial accounts have limitations:
Funds are divided equally among children and cannot account for differing needs.
At age 18, children gain full access to their inheritance, which may not align with wise financial planning.
If you wish to safeguard against these concerns, consider creating a Children’s Trust.
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A Children’s Trust can be set up in your will to manage assets for your children until they reach an age you determine. This trust provides flexibility and safeguards your children’s inheritance. Key benefits include:
Meeting dependency needs: The trust can provide for your children’s care, health, education, and support while they are young.
Distributing funds responsibly: Inheritance can be distributed in increments over time, rather than all at once when they reach legal age.
Equal provision: Assets are shared equitably after the youngest child’s dependency needs are met.
Trustee discretion: You can appoint a trustee to make financial decisions in line with your wishes and values.
If your children are very young, custodial accounts may be sufficient for now. As they grow, review and update your plan to include a Children’s Trust to ensure their inheritance is managed wisely.
Our online platform includes provisions for individual Children’s Trusts if they would receive an inheritance before a certain age of your choosing. To explore a joint Children’s Trust and learn how to include it in your estate plan, please contact our Gift & Estate Design team.
“An inheritance quickly gained in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.” (Proverbs 20:21)
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Life insurance plays a vital role in providing for your family’s financial future if something happens to one or both parents. Consider needs such as:
Supplemental childcare
Mortgage payments
Private school tuition
The surviving spouse stepping away from work to care for the children
Equal life insurance coverage for both parents can offer peace of mind, ensuring financial stability through life’s uncertainties. If cost is a concern, a term life insurance policy can provide affordable coverage until your youngest child reaches adulthood.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” (Matthew 6:34)
Individuals & Families with No Dependents
If you don’t have dependents to consider, your estate planning may look a little different. Below are key considerations for transferring your assets in a way that reflects both love and faithful stewardship.
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For many families, leaving an inheritance to adult children is no longer about meeting dependency needs—they are likely self-sufficient. As you prayerfully consider how much to leave them, reflect on two biblical concepts: inheritance and love.
In the Old Testament, inheritance focused on passing assets to the next relative who would care for the family, with dependency as a central theme.
In the New Testament, inheritance is often tied to inheriting the Kingdom of God, reminding us to pass on God’s Word in love.
As you plan, pray about how to balance your desire to bless your loved ones with good stewardship. Consider:
How might a gift impact their relationship with and dependency on the Lord?
Will the recipient steward the inheritance wisely?
If your adult children or relatives have specific needs, you may also consider sharing a portion of your inheritance while you are living. Alternatively, if they are already well provided for, you may have the freedom to dedicate more of your assets to supporting the Lord’s work through ministry.
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“A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children…” (Proverbs 13:22a)
The greatest inheritance you can pass to your grandchildren is the knowledge of Jesus Christ and His salvation. However, financial gifts also require thoughtful consideration, as grandchildren may still be developing as stewards.
If you wish to leave an inheritance for your grandchildren:
Through their parents: Leaving assets to their parents allows for meeting their dependency needs and ensuring the inheritance is passed down responsibly.
Directly to grandchildren: You can gift assets outright or set up a Grandchildren’s Trust through your will or living trust. A Grandchildren’s Trust provides flexibility for care and stewardship over time.
For more information about setting up a Grandchildren’s Trust, contact our Gift & Estate Design team.
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If you are concerned about providing for a child who struggles with stewardship or has wandered from the faith, this may be your greatest prayer concern. Thoughtful planning can help you balance love with wisdom. For tailored solutions, such as trusts that provide structured support, please visit our Complex Situations section or reach out to our team for guidance.
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If you have elderly parents or other family members who could benefit from additional assistance, your will can be a way to bless them. Options include:
Direct gifts: Providing funds outright for their care.
Trusts: Creating a trust allows a trustee to distribute funds as needed for ongoing support.
Charitable Gift Annuities: This option provides your loved ones with a fixed income stream for life, with any remaining balance directed to ministries of your choosing after their passing.
If you are interested in exploring these options, our Gift & Estate Design team would be honored to help you find the right approach for your family.
Complex Situations
If your estate planning needs to go beyond the basics, there are several important topics to prayerfully consider. Whether you’re planning for specific family dynamics, special needs, or business ownership, the following options can help you steward your resources well.
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Planning for a wayward child may be one of your greatest prayer concerns as you seek to balance love, grace, and wise stewardship. While the Old Testament emphasizes accountability, the New Testament shows us God’s grace and compassion.
You may consider two separate plans:
A current plan based on the child’s current circumstances.
A future plan outlining adjustments to your will or trust if the situation changes.
While these contingencies can be difficult to draft due to many variables, consulting with an attorney can help you determine the best approach.
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:20-24)
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If you have concerns about a child’s ability to manage finances, a Children’s Trust can be a wise solution. This legal arrangement allows assets to be managed by a trustee and distributed in increments, preventing a sudden, overwhelming inheritance.
Options to consider:
A single trust for all children, avoiding the appearance of singling one out. However, this means all children would receive distributions incrementally.
An individual trust specifically for the spendthrift child, allowing tailored provisions for their needs.
Pray through how best to design a plan that provides for your child while encouraging family harmony.
An inheritance quickly gained in the beginning will not be blessed in the end. (Proverbs 20:21)
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If your child receives government assistance, a Special Needs Trust (SNT) can provide supplemental support without disqualifying them from programs like Medicaid or SSDI. An SNT typically covers expenses such as caregiving, entertainment, phone bills, and clothing, while carefully navigating complex rules around food or shelter support.
Options include:
Creating an SNT through your will or trust to activate after your passing.
Setting up an SNT during your lifetime to establish a historical record for the trustee.
If you prefer to avoid government involvement, a Children’s Trust may also meet your child’s needs, particularly if reasonable costs are expected. Additionally, consider appointing a legal guardian to care for your child after you’re gone.
Consult an attorney with experience in SNTs and government programs for the best approach.
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Blended families often require careful planning to balance the needs of a surviving spouse while protecting inheritance for children from a previous marriage.
A common solution is an Asset Protection Trust (APT):
When the first spouse passes, assets are held in the trust for the surviving spouse’s benefit.
Remaining assets are then passed to the first spouse’s children upon the survivor’s death.
An APT protects assets from creditors and ensures funds aren’t commingled in a new marriage, preventing accidental disinheritance.
Due to its sensitivity, the trustee is often a third party rather than the surviving spouse. Work with an attorney to draft this into your estate plan.
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If you live abroad, your estate plan needs to address unique challenges:
Transferring accounts and assets across borders.
Where minor children would go and how they would get there.
Local laws that could impact your plan.
Some countries may require you to draft a separate will in your country of residence. Consult professionals in both countries to ensure your plan is legally sound.
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If you own property or assets in another country, the U.S. government includes these in your taxable estate. To ensure the proper transfer of these assets, consult with an attorney in the foreign country to draft a local will or address legal requirements.
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If your spouse is not a U.S. citizen, the unlimited marital deduction for transferring assets only applies under certain conditions:
If assets pass to a non-citizen spouse, they must be transferred into a Qualified Domestic Trust (QDOT) to avoid estate taxes.
This area of estate planning can be complex, so working with an attorney is highly recommended.
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Buy-Sell Agreements
A buy-sell agreement outlines a plan for your business if an owner passes away or becomes incapacitated. It sets a sales price, names buyers, and clarifies business control, simplifying the process for your heirs.
Key Man Insurance
Key man insurance provides funds for partners to buy the business from heirs or to shut down operations, cover debts, and provide severance. The business owns and pays for the policy, then receives the benefit if you pass away.
Succession Planning for Family Businesses
Family-run businesses require careful succession planning to prevent conflict. Key considerations include:
Should only heirs involved in the business receive shares?
Should key man insurance fund buyouts for uninvolved heirs?
Prayerfully design a plan that prioritizes family harmony and stewardship.
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If one or more of the situations in this section apply to you, or if you’re interested in discussing other complex estate issues in greater detail, Orchard Alliance has a team of Gift & Estate Design Consultants to walk you through all considerations from a biblical perspective. We are here to serve The Alliance family where faith and finance meet. Click here to schedule a call with one of our consultants.
If you are not currently affiliated with The Christian & Missionary Alliance as a church attendee or through a related ministry or donor relationship, our online tools are available to anyone free of charge.
If you feel prepared to draft your documents now, we recommend working with an estate planning attorney. For references to attorneys in your area, please Contact Us or check these databases to find Christian professionals in your area:
Find A Christian Lawyer | CLS - Christian Legal Society
Find a Professional (faithfi.com)
Even if you draft your will or trust through an estate planning attorney, you may utilize our online partner platform to draft a free Power of Attorney or Living Will/Advance Healthcare Directive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Setting up your will or trust for the first time may feel like a huge undertaking, but our online partner platform removes a lot of the uncertainty so you can start and finish quickly. Still, you might have some questions. Click the button to view our FAQs as a first stop for help.
If you need more assistance, Contact our team and we’ll respond to your questions or concerns. We’re here to help!
FAQs
General Questions
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Please visit our partner link: www.freewill.com/OrchardAlliance. This partner link is the only way to access all the free features available through our partnership, so please bookmark this custom link and use it every time you log in.
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There are four main documents: Last Will and Testament, Power of Attorney (POA), Living Will/Advance Healthcare Directive, and Revocable Living Trust (RLT). You can also set up non-legal documents to accompany your will or trust, such as a beneficiary plan and a personal statement (which can be used as a statement of faith).
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You should have either a Last Will and Testament or a Revocable Living Trust. When creating an RLT, the platform automatically creates a Pour Over Will to accompany it. Along with these documents, we also recommend creating the Power of Attorney and the Living Will/Advance Healthcare Directive. These additional documents enable you to name trusted family members or friends to manage your finances and healthcare decisions in case of incapacity.
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No. Once you review your responses and save, you will be taken to a screen which provides instructions to finalize your documents. From here you can print or email a copy of your will, trust, or other estate documents. The first pages of each file provides instructions for how to make your documents legally valid. Please take time to read and understand these instructions thoroughly. The platform does not store legally executed copies of your documents, so please follow the written instructions for how to store your documents.
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Yes! The platform should send you an email to complete your registration and set up a password. You may log back in at any time and visit your account dashboard to edit or continue your documents.
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You can go through their password recovery process even if you never created a password. Go to the website via our partner link and select Log In at the top of the page. From the Log In screen, select Reset Password. Enter your email address and you will be sent instructions on how to set/reset your password.
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Orchard Alliance is a supporting organization of The Christian & Missionary Alliance, and our estate planning services are free to you, as a gift from The Alliance and your church. The use of the online platform via our partner link is also free. You may encounter fees from other entities you optionally engage with, such as attorneys or notaries.
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You should review your will or trust after it is created to ensure it reflects your wishes accurately. You should also review all your account beneficiaries, as assets with beneficiaries pass outside your will. We strongly recommend having a third party review your documents as well. Please Contact Us if you would like an Orchard Alliance consultant to review your documents and overall plan to ensure they successfully accomplish your wishes.
Questions Regarding Creating Your Documents
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A self-proving affidavit is a notarized document that accompanies your will. The document is signed by your witnesses in the presence of a notary. Most states do not require your will to be notarized; however, we strongly recommend selecting Yes to add this to your will. Without it, probate may take longer and the court would likely require your witnesses to attest that the will is valid (which could be difficult if one of your witnesses dies or if the court can’t contact them). Almost every state allows a self-proving affidavit in your will, but there are exceptions. We recommend researching the current regulations in your state by visiting your state’s government or bar association websites.
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Independent Administration means that after an executor is approved and an inventory of the estate’s assets is filed with the court, the executor can administer the estate with minimal further court involvement or supervision. For example, an executor can settle claims by creditors, sell assets for the payment of taxes, and distribute property to estate beneficiaries, all without the court’s oversight or approval. Independent administration can speed up the probate process and reduce court fees, but it could open up the executor to legal challenges from other interested parties.
Since this doesn’t apply in most states, you are free to select “Say Nothing.” In states where independent administration is currently legal, saying nothing may still allow your executor and beneficiaries to choose whether independent administration is the best fit for your estate. In states where it is not legal, including this language in your will could allow your executor to choose the best course of action should the laws change in the future.
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A no-contest clause discourages challenges to your will. The provision typically states that a beneficiary who challenges the will baselessly would forfeit any bequests that have been left to them. No-contest clauses are not enforceable in all states. They do not prevent anyone with a good cause challenge from receiving an inheritance, and they do not prevent challenges from people who are not already named as beneficiaries in your will (as they have nothing to lose).
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A digital executor is nominated to manage all of your digital assets after you pass. Your digital assets may include your digital photos, computer files, cryptocurrency, email accounts, social media accounts, and logins to online businesses and financial institutions. We recommend creating a list of your accounts (with usernames and passwords) and instructions for how you would like your digital executor to handle these assets. When creating a will using the online platform, the file includes a template instruction page where you can add this information if you so choose.
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Your privacy is important, so this selection is up to you. It is helpful to charities to know who you are for their planning purposes and your legacy record. If you are supporting Christian organizations, this could be an extension of your testimony, as charities typically send thank-you notes to their donors’ families. If you select No, charities may still receive anonymized data about your legacy gift.
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No. These sections are optional. You may come back and fill these out later if you want your wishes in writing. These sections won’t be part of your signed will, but are included in the draft file if you fill out these sections on the platform. They are separate and non-legally-binding letters that you can store with your will and other estate documents.
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Orchard Alliance, as the financial ministry of The Christian & Missionary Alliance, holds and manages all Legacy accounts on behalf of The Alliance. Gifts left through your will and/or trust are considered Legacy gifts. Your will and/or trust language should read the beneficiary designation as “Orchard Alliance for benefit of (FBO) The Christian and Missionary Alliance.” This means that funds would be sent to Orchard Alliance for deposit into the C&MA’s Legacy accounts. Any specific designations attached to the funds (i.e. Envision Africa) should be listed at the end of the organization name. These designations are then reported to The Alliance so that they may budget the funds accordingly. Any undesignated or general-purpose funds would be allocated to the Great Commission Fund.
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A Legacy Advised Fund (LAF) is a tool created by Orchard Alliance to simplify your charitable giving. Using one enables you to update your charitable beneficiaries throughout your life without having to update your will, trust, or beneficiary listings at financial institutions. Click here to learn more about LAFs and how to get started.
I Have Questions That Aren’t Answered Here
Our team at Orchard Alliance is available to help you understand your assets, review your documents, pray with you, and answer any estate planning or online platform questions you may have. Please Contact Us to connect with someone today.
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Orchard Alliance
8595 Explorer Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
Phone: 833.672.4255
Email: willplanning@orchardalliance.org
© 2025 Faith & Finance Powered by Orchard Alliance. All rights reserved.Orchard Alliance and its partner, FreeWill, are not a law firm and its services are not substitutes for an attorney’s advice. The information presented here is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial, or tax advice. This information is general in nature and is not intended to serve as the primary or sole basis for estate planning decisions. Estate planning may implicate both state and federal laws. For further details, please review our Explanation of Services.